Stranger danger and smart phones: teenager robbed near school

Colorado Springs Police are looking for a man who robbed a 15-year-old Monday right after school and took his smart phone.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -

Colorado Springs Police are looking for a man who robbed a 15-year-old with a knife Monday right after school and took his smart phone.

Police say it happened at the corner of Corona Street and Yampa Street on Monday afternoon (3/3/14) around 3:30 p.m. near North Junior High School.

Lt. Catherine Buckley said the teenager was waiting for his sibling when a robber pulled up in a car, got out and came at him with a knife. Then, he took his smart phone.

Cell phone thefts have increased across the country. According to the latest statistics from Consumer Reports, one in three thefts in the U.S. involved a cell phone in 2012 alone. Colorado Springs Police say smart phones and other cell phones are usually taken in robberies, but they're not targets.

Parents, students and police told KRDO NewsChannel 13 they are surprised Monday's robbery happened after school when there were a lot of people around.

"It's ludacris," said parent David Jamison.

"It's crazy that people would go out of their way to try to steal stuff from people that's not even theirs," said student Jacenta Maynor, 15.

Maynor said all of her friends have smart phones. Meghanne Stevison is a parent of a student that goes to North Junior High School. She said her daughter has had her iPhone stolen twice at school.

"I don't even know what it would be like if it were to happen outside of school," she said.

It's a lesson that stranger danger can happen anywhere to anyone for anything.

"If he attacks me, then give up my smart phone probably" said Maynor.

"Just give it to them. Any object can be replaced, but you cannot replace a child," said Jamison.

Police say the vehicle was an early 2000's tan Subaru Legacy with a cracked right tail-light. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (719) 444-7000.

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